Firefighters in Kingston, Ontario are battling a major building fire this afternoon that may have been caused by a propane explosion. Worst of all, it left a man trapped on a crane at the site of the blaze — and the play-by-play of his dramatic rescue was captured on Twitter.
Canada's CBC reports that firefighters were alerted to possible explosions around 2 p.m. ET today. Residents within a half mile of the fire were asked to evacuate their homes, and the fire has been contained, but for a time a crane operator was left trapped at the edge of his crane while the flames burned.
Twitter user ChrisInKingston caught the man's mind-blowing helicopter rescue from a few blocks away. Here's what he saw.
Princess / Victoria streets student housing construction in flames #ygk pic.twitter.com/fi26CNpMiA
— Chris in Kingston (@ChrisInKingston) December 17, 2013
heard an explosion, flames grow higher and dangerously close to the Legion Villa pic.twitter.com/Fpc3DDks5V
— Chris in Kingston (@ChrisInKingston) December 17, 2013
flames have now spread to the south side of Princess St #ygk pic.twitter.com/Jbe6xrcRrz
— Chris in Kingston (@ChrisInKingston) December 17, 2013
I can't see from here but this doesn't look good for the new gas station #ygk pic.twitter.com/baVhXVs1pw
— Chris in Kingston (@ChrisInKingston) December 17, 2013
A crane operator is trapped. @CKWS_TV pic.twitter.com/t83clcsJ7z
— Morganne Campbell (@Journo_Morganne) December 17, 2013
that Crane Operator sitting in the cold, waiting to be rescued by 8 Wing Trenton, will have an amazing story to tell #ygk
— Chris in Kingston (@ChrisInKingston) December 17, 2013
rescue underway! #ygk pic.twitter.com/yDhSGwu1Y0
— Chris in Kingston (@ChrisInKingston) December 17, 2013
the got him! pic.twitter.com/wBxar0yCT1
— Chris in Kingston (@ChrisInKingston) December 17, 2013
Watch This Crane Operator Get Plucked From Terrifying Inferno